


Birthday Blues

by wishingonly (wendlaswound)



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Fluff, M/M, i don't remember writing this, it was a tumblr prompt, my summary is actually terrible, no there is nothing kinky in this jfc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 13:50:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14238648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendlaswound/pseuds/wishingonly
Summary: Jack's 18th birthday means one thing: possibility.





	Birthday Blues

            Jack didn’t know how he had gotten so far in his life without Crutchie by his side. There was nothing logical to that thought; he’d made it in the world alone for seventeen years of his life. He’d depended on no one, needed nothing but himself. There was nothing sensical for Jack needing Crutchie when his life philosophy had been completely against it for as long as he could remember.

            But now, he was helpless. Now he didn’t even need himself, because he wasn’t much of anything without Crutchie. Jack didn’t know how it had happened. But it was true.

            And he was almost an adult. Almost completely free of absolutely anything. He could run away, even though it wouldn’t be running away anymore. It would just be his life, free to go about as he wished, do as he pleased.

            He’d fallen asleep with his head thrumming with the thought: _One more night._

            And maybe he’d rent an apartment with his savings, and maybe Crutchie would come and live with him, and maybe…

            Jack shook his head, sitting up in his bed and rubbing his eyes. _No, no, stop dreaming, Jack. Stop it. Wake up._

            He sighed, only a strip of pale light sneaking through the blinds that haphazardly covered his window. It must have been far too early in the morning to be awake, the city below him was only murmuring, whispering, not even the gentle hum that usually accompanied the sunrise.

            If it was too early for the city to be awake, it was definitely too early for him to be awake. He nodded, resigning to that decision, and laid back down, throwing the covers over his head.

            He feel asleep again, smiling, singing _Happy Birthday to me_ to himself with no noise, just his lips moving in the quiet.

* * *

 

            Jack met Crutchie in the park like they had planned. Jack had gotten there a half hour early, because Crutchie always got there fifteen minutes early, and it always made Jack feel late even if he was ten minutes early. And he would not be late today.

            Jack waited on their bench and sketched in the little book he always carried around, doodling the figures of the passerby, cartoon dogs, the skyline (he loved to draw the skyline; he knew it from every spot, every angle. Whenever he was stressed his hand worked by itself, scratching it out from memory), anything and everything he saw.

            His pen ran out and he shook it, frustrated, but Crutchie just happened to be walking over to him then.

            Jack smiled brightly, and Crutchie returned it, sitting close to him on the bench. He was fidgeting, though. Crutchie always did that, but he never looked so nervous. And his cheeks were flushed.

            Jack brushed that aside, though, pinning it on how anxious Crutchie got riding the subway and the surprisingly brisk air.

            “There he is!” Crutchie said, beaming as he lightly punched Jack’s arm. “Aw, my little Jackie is all grown up.”

            Despite himself, Jack blushed, unable to grin any wider than he already was.

            “Shut up, it’s not really that big of a deal-“

            “Ha! Yes, it is! You’ve been waiting for this day since I met you. JACK KELLY IS LEGALLY AN ADULT, WORLD!” Crutchie shouted, which wasn’t very loud for Crutchie because he had such a shy voice and he was laughing through the whole declaration. Nevertheless, Jack shoved his arm, looking at his lap and not letting Crutchie see his smile.

            “Stop, please. Don’t turn into an overbearing mom on me, now.”

            “Alright, alright. I did come here to celebrate, not embarrass you.” He thought for a moment. “Well, I came to embarrass you a bit, too. But now that that’s over, let us eat cake!”

            Jack froze, then glanced at the bag that Crutchie had sitting next to him. “You didn’t.”

            Crutchie grinned. “I did.” To Jack’s amazement, he pulled out a birthday cake of ungodly proportions for the two of them. Jack didn’t even know how it fit in the bag, or how it hadn’t gotten crushed.

            “It’s beautiful,” he breathed.

            Crutchie nodded. “’Twas a labor of love and pain. At this point, I may as well have birthed it myself.”

            “Okay, one, never say you birthed food that we are about to eat, not even metaphorically, and two, you _made this? By yourself?”_

Crutchie blushed again, which seemed to be a common theme between them at that time. Jack still didn’t really understand why; usually things were so easy going between them.

            “Well, it took a while, but yes. I did.”

            “And we're going to eat the whole thing.”

            “I made some sandwiches too, but sure.”

            “No, that wasn’t a question. That was a challenge accepted. Let’s go.”

            Crutchie laughed, but the set everything out between them, even sticking a fake candle in the middle of the cake.

            “Make a wish,” he laughed.

            Jack looked at him. “Why would I do that? There’s nothing that I could be wishing for right now.”

            Crutchie blushed, and they had the nicest picnic either of them could have ever dreamed of.

* * *

 

            By some miracle of unholy forces or metabolism, they actually managed to finish the cake and all the sandwiches Crutchie made. Soon they moved from their bench to the grass, laying themselves out under a tree and laughing with each other, recounting all the stories of their shared past, the potential of a future lingering, but unsaid. The sun that had woken Jack up was now slowly sinking, burying itself in the skyline, snuggled against the clouds.

            And somehow, Jack and Crutchie found themselves in a similar position, their shoulders pressed together, leaning up against the trunk. Jack’s head was nestled in Crutchie’s neck and he found himself dozing off, now and again jolted away by Crutchie’s even breathing.

            And eventually, Crutchie tapped him awake, when the sky was a pale violet with only streaks of orange. “Hey, Jackie, I gotta go.”

            Jack sat up and rubbed his eyes, his whole body a bit numb, a bit lagging. He stretched as Crutchie began gathering up his stuff.

            “So,” Crutchie started softly, a bit hesitantly, something Jack could only recognize after knowing Crutchie for so long. “How was your birthday?”

            “Fantastic,” Jack told him.

            Crutchie smiled, shyly staring at his hands. “That’s good.”

            “Thank you for a great day.”

            “There’s nothing to thank me for.”

            “Of course there is.”

            Crutchie was grinning and shaking his head. He turned away just for a moment before he spun back around to face Jack, and just looked at him for another beat before he kissed him.

            Jack leaned away, surprised at first, but luckily Crutchie followed, his lips warm and comforting against Jack’s. Once Jack had regained most of his wits, he fell into the kiss, melting when Crutchie grabbed his face and drew him even closer, despite how forcefully Jack was pushing himself against Crutchie.

            After what could have been days, they pulled apart, both at the same breath.

            They stared at each other, breathing heavily, before Crutchie gave him one last smile, stood, and walked off with a “Happy birthday, Jackie.”

            Jack was still sprawled out under the tree, unable to move, convinced he was dreaming. He collapsed completely to the ground and waited for himself to wake up.

            He didn’t.


End file.
